The Road to Home
by mutedsymphony
Summary: After traumatic events, Cheza finds herself lost in a world that is familiar yet seemingly unreal. With the help of the Dwarf brothers, Fili and Kili, she must find a way back to her old life- and time is ticking. [Kili/OC; ratings may or may not go up]
1. Kapitel 1

The sharp sound of snapping twigs sounded from my right, and both Kaye and I stopped to look. I had my camera ready, incase it was a wild animal, but I was beginning to suspect that it wasn't. After all, it had been following us for the last ten minutes, and most animals here are not _that_ comfortable around human presence.

I egged Kaye on, and she followed me after a brief moment of hesitation. I'm sure her canine senses confirmed my suspicions. She was usually much more lively and energetic at the thought of chasing a squirrel or fox- heck, even a deer!

My backpack was heavy on my shoulders and my thighs were beginning to ache and throb as we hiked up the rocky coast. I had decided to treat myself to a short weekend getaway with Kaye, my assistant German Shepherd at a nearby nature reserve. We were already on the second day, and making excellent progress, but the fact that I had no phone reception- nor did I see any park rangers walking around since I started- made me worry somewhat. If whoever or whatever it was didn't stop shadowing us within the next two minutes, I would confront them.

I didn't have to wait two minutes.

Just as I passed a thicket of shrubs, Kaye gave two sharp barks and I found myself being pushed viciously to the ground. The backpack cushioned most of my fall, but some of the heavier and sharper items dug into my back. I exhaled sharply in pain. I felt a hand on my chest, pressing my down, and another around my throat.

"Got you!" Came the delighted announcement from my attackers mouth. He was around his thirties, with a handsome face, dark hair, and darker eyes. But he wasn't familiar. I had never met him in my life and I could see that his intentions were far from friendly.

I heard more footsteps behind him and I flailed wildly, trying to look around and see who else was coming.

"See? Told you it wouldn't be too hard," a voice said- another man. But he spoke too soon.

Just then, Kaye launched herself onto my attacker, sinking her teeth deep into the man's arm. He cried out suddenly and let go of my neck. Instinctively, I kicked upwards, hitting him in a particularly sensitive area, and managed to shove him on to his back before scrambling to my feet. Kaye had let go and was snarling at the bleeding man.

Despite his injury, the man didn't hesitate as soon as he recovered from the pain. He jumped forward again, grabbing my ankle and pulling my foot off the ground. I lost my balance and fell on my back a second time. "Get the damn dog!" he cried out to his partner, who nodded and tried to grab Kaye's neck before she got to my attacker a second time.

He managed to grab the scruff of her neck for a moment, but he had underestimated her strength. Soon, she was also leaving bite marks along his arms and hands as well. She even tried to reach for more critical points on his body, but couldn't as he was trying to run away and push her back.

In the meantime, my aggressor smiled repulsively at me and tried to use his hands to reach the belt that held my pants up. Blood trailed and stained the light grey material of my trousers. I felt my heartbeat race as I tried to thrash out of his grip. "Relax," he tried to coax me and despite the situation, I scoffed at his attempt of calming me down. Just then, I heard the assailant bolt with Kaye hot on his heels.

"Ka-" I tried to call her back to help me, but the man had managed to clamber closer to me and had a hand clamped over my mouth. I still squirmed, trying to shove him off of me to run this time, but he wouldn't be made a fool of again.

To prove his point, he used a knee to pin me down securely, before using his now free hand to pull a switchblade from his pocket. Holding the handle tightly, blade pointing downwards, he gave me a sick grin before he thrust it into my leg.

I barely had time to scream before Kaye was on his neck, dragging him away from and shaking her head sideways for an improved grip. And though this may sound weird, or even a bit cliché, I don't really remember what happened after that.

I know I wasn't unconscious- no, I had tried to make a run for it. But everything has becoming jumbled up in my head before slowly fading out into pitch-black nothingness. I could not recall how it ended, what happened to me, or how Kaye fared, nor could I recall anything about the attackers after she had bitten into the man's neck.

Next thing I remembered, I was underwater. I could hear the sound of the waves and feel soft sand and pebbles under my hands. The water was brackish and there was an odd metallic taste to it.

It didn't take too long before panic gripped me as I realized my situation_. I was drowning. _Pressing my palms against the sand, I pushed myself up without even opening my eyes. To my relief, I had only been a few decimeters below the surface. I spat out all the water in my mouth and gulped in a gracious mouthful of air.

Finally opening my eyes, I looked around to see that it was dark. There were visible cliffs against the moonlight, but they were far from where I was situated. The only thing that made sense was that I had probably fallen off the cliff at the top of the coast hike, only to drift to the shore. The said shore was only just behind me, and I used my hands to pull myself up on drier lands. I realized my backpack was still on my back, and I took it off, throwing it several feet away from me into the sand.

I panted, trying to replenish my oxygen supply as quickly as I could. Everything around me was unfamiliar. I had never seen a sandy shore such as this one from the height of the trail I'd been on. I had drifted quite far.


	2. Kapitel 2

_I wonder how I didn't drown._

_Maybe it was a dream…_ I mused, but that was highly unlikely. I had felt everything. The man's hands... I shuddered, feeling sick all of a sudden.

Looking down the beach on my left, I noticed a fire that had been lit. I weighed in two decisions- to ask for help or not. I did not want to come in contact with those two men again. After a moment of debating, I decided to risk it. It couldn't have been them. With the bites Kaye had given them both, they would have needed to seek immediate medical attention.

I tried to stand up and shout "Hello!" at the same time, but I gasped as a sharp pain ran up from my thigh. Giving out a startled cry, I fell onto the sand, clutching where it hurt. My fingers ran over the smooth wooden handle of the switchblade that was still sticking into my leg.

_Well, at least I now know why the water tasted weird, _I tried to console myself, but it had no effect on me whatsoever. I looked up again, sight slightly blurry with unshed tears of shock and pain, only to realize that whoever was sitting by the fire hadn't heard me.

"He-!" I tried to call out again, this time from the ground, but I felt a hand clamp down on my mouth and I thought I would have a heart attack. Had they followed me? Were they going to continue what they started? Would I be killed?

I struggled wildly and tried to scream into the hand, but then another hand found it way over my shoulders and pushed me back into whoever was holding me.

"Shh," the man instructed me, and I instantly stopped squirming. I could hear from his voice that this wasn't someone I had come in contact with before, and though I hadn't even seen his face, his voice calmed me. "There's no reason to bring so much attention to us, child," he continued, releasing me when he felt I was stable and moved to my field of vision. _Okay. Not the most comforting thing to hear._

"Child?" I hissed, which caused the corner of his mouth to twitch slightly.

"There's no one here but my brother and I, and I would prefer we keep it this way," he informed me. Though it was dark, the moon was full and I could just barely make out his features. He looked kind, gentle (and perhaps a bit too self-confident), with dark blonde hair that fell past his shoulders. It was braided in the front and loose on the back. He also had a beard, with a braid adorning each side of his mouth.

I nodded to show that I understood, and he stood up, extending an arm towards me. When I hesitated, he asked, "Can you stand?"

"No…" I admitted, looking down at my thigh. The man followed my gaze, before a short 'Ah' escaped his lips.

"I will take you to the fire. I could use the light to help you with your wounds. Perhaps my brother can help, as well."

He sounded almost too formal when he spoke and it made me feel strange, but I didn't comment. One look at the bulky clothes he wore, and my first thought was that he was a lost role-player from a comic convention or something similar. Yet, he seemed to fit in so well to the new surroundings that I almost felt like I was the odd one.

Without a word, he picked up my backpack and put it on his shoulders, before he put an arm under my knees and another behind my back, lifting me up. I was too startled to protest, and the pain that went searing through my leg left me speechless almost the entire walk to the campfire.

"What's your name, lass?" he asked me, and I had to gulp down a huge lump in my throat to answer.

"Cheza," I told him, managing to keep my voice steady despite the pain.

"I am Fili, at your service," he told me, meeting my gaze. I couldn't help smiling a bit at how polite he was.

A few feet from the fire, another figure sprinted forward.

"What took you so long, brother?" the man, whom I could guess was Fili's brother, asked. His question was answered with a nod towards me from Fili.

"I found a wounded Woman in the waters," he explained. "I scouted far, and could not find any source of danger, nor of her attack." Gently, he put me down on a log and I smiled thankfully at him. "Cheza, this is my brother, Kili," he told me.

"At your service," the brother, Kili, bowed. When he looked up I was momentarily stunned. His face glowed in the firelight. He had much darker hair than his brother, and his beard wasn't much more than overgrown stubble. He looked as kind and gentle as his sibling, but his dark eyes glinted in a way his brother's did not. I nodded back at him, speechless again.

"May I ask what happened?" Fili asked, as he set about removing certain items from his bag by the fire. He had set mine down beside him.

"I was out with my dog…" I started and then trailed, realizing that I had no idea where Kaye was. Panic set in and I tried to stand up to look for her. I didn't get far before I found myself falling forward, and the only reason I didn't fall on my face and push the blade deeper into my flesh was that Kili had caught me.

"There, there, lass," Kili tried to calm me down and put me back on the log, obviously aware of the little panic attack I was having. I wondered if my eyes could get any wider without looking like a bush baby. But no matter where I looked, I could not find a shadow under the moon that resembled Kaye's form. I slowed down, trying to remember the few fragments I had left of the incident. I remember she'd been farther from the edge of the trail than I had been. And knowing Kaye, she has been trained to seek immediate help if anything dangerous was to happen to me. She couldn't have followed me…

"She hates heights," I mumbled to myself. My thoughts were racing but I managed to calm myself down. She was most probably safe. I had to have faith in that. I couldn't lose my grip just yet.

Looking up again, Fili waited patiently, holding cloth in one hand and something small and thin that gleamed in the light. I realized it was a needle and thread with a grimace.

I tried again, steadying my voice. "I was out with my dog. We were hiking a trail by the coast in the Edda reserve when I was attacked by two men," I didn't want to go into detail about the attempted ravishment. They could probably get that without too many hints. "My dog and I tried to fend them off and one stabbed me with his switchblade…" I continued, pointing at the handle. I knew that I should have been alarmed at it, and that I should have probably rushed to do something about stopping the bleeding, but I was strangely calm. "I honestly don't remember anything after that," I finished lamely looking up at both of them.

"I'm glad you escaped," Fili told me. "And I have faith in your dog," he told me, and I smiled sadly at my voiced thought. "But now, we will have to focus on your wound. Kili," he looked at his brother, whom I realized had been searching my face for a few moments too long. "Help me hold her steady."

"Yes, brother," Kili said, kneeling beside his brother and holding my leg with two strong sturdy hands. "This may hurt," he told me with an apologetic expression. Before I could react, Fili had enclosed his arm around the switchblade handle and pulled it out.

Remembering Fili's previous warning about not bringing too much attention to ourselves, I bit back a scream of pain. The tears, however, I could do nothing about. Kili held me steady despite my shaking. It took a while but I managed to calm down the sobs racking my body. I looked up at Fili when I felt composed.

"That was the worst part," he assured me, rolling up my pant leg before he picked up a bottle and removed the cork with his teeth. He poured the liquid over my wound, and I realized it was alcohol. I gasped, trying my best not to scream. A muffled cry escaped my lips.. I felt Fili insert a needle into my flesh, but that was nothing compared to the burning of the alcohol. I almost kicked Kili's face at the pain.

"Here," I heard Kili's voice, having dodged my foot. He was holding out the bottle of alcohol to me, and with one quick motion I had gulped down a significant mouthful of the strong drink. It burned my throat slightly and warmed me up from the inside. It was then I realized how cold and damp I was, despite the warmth of the fire.

"Your brother is a liar," I said through gritted my teeth. "That was _definitely_ not the worst part!"

Kili laughed lightly, taking the bottle back, but not before I took a second gulp. He took a swig himself, before placing the bottle against another log. Fili continued to sew my wound shut.

"The wound is deep, but nothing vital has been touched," he informed me. "You have been most lucky."

"Thank you so much," I said softly, looking at both of them. My situation wasn't really fully comprehended yet, but they had been extremely kind to me even though I hadn't known them for more than ten minutes.

"No worries, child," Fili told me, cutting the extra string with his teeth and tying it off. "Glad we could help."

"Wouldn't leave a little lady like you all alone out here, now would we?" Kili said heartily, and I smiled at him, unsure of how I felt about his words.

_Probably just paranoia after what happened…_

"Where am I? I can't have drifted too far from Edda, right?" I asked, and I saw Kili lift his shoulders and drop them again.

"Apologies, but I have never heard of a place called Edda," he said and I felt the colour drain from my face. He let go of my leg and put the cork back in the bottle while his brother put away the needle, thread, and cloth. "But then again, we're not exactly used to this part of Middle Earth."

"Middle Earth?" I echoed. _Why did that sound vaguely familiar? _"So where am I then?" I pressed.

"A bit outside of Bree," Fili told me, helping me pull down my pant leg.

I had never heard of such a place before. I was _pretty_ sure it wasn't near anywhere I lived.

"Oh, shit," I groaned, leaning sideways into the sand.

"A drinker and a swearer. I think we will get along splendidly!" Kili joked, standing up. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I have no idea where I am," I stated bluntly. "I have never heard of a place called Bree before…"

"Want some soup?" Kili asked, absent to my dilemma. Without waiting for a confirmation, he put a pot over the fire. "Of course you do. You bled yourself half to death and almost drowned. Near-death situations always elicit hunger."

I was about to make a dry comment about how I was fairly used to the bleeding part, seeing as I was a woman, but decided against that. He thought me _swearing _was something to point out. I didn't feel like testing my limits.

"Thank you," I managed to say instead, not really knowing how to express my gratitude.

I should have been panicking. I could already realize that I was nowhere near home, and the worst thought that crossed my mind was that I was in an entirely different place, but I was relatively placid.

"Here, see if you can put these on," Fili said out of the blue, throwing a bundle of clothes at me. "They're my brother's."

"Oi!" Kili protested, pointing a ladle at Fili. I couldn't help but laugh at how silly he looked. All that was missing was a frilly pink apron.

"Mine are all dirty!" Fili defended himself, holding his palms out towards Kili.

I looked at the clothes. Fili had given me a light blue tunic, with strings that laced together at the top, and a pair of dark brown trousers. They seemed a bit too big for me, but I decided to give it a try. I was shivering and still quite soaked through.

They both turned away, to give me some privacy, and I wondered how I'd get everything on without hurting myself. I gave it a try anyways, and though it was hard with my wound, I managed eventually. The tunic had a tendency to fall off one shoulder, no matter how tightly I tied the strings. It was either that or show way too much cleavage. The trousers were a few sizes too big around the legs, but fit quite well around the ankles and waist. They felt airy and comfortable. I had also removed my shoes and socks, putting them aside to dry.

"I'm done," I told them, and they both turned around.

"Glad to see they fit," Fili smiled.

"Albeit loosely," Kili pointed out with the ladle, noticing my bare shoulder. He scooped some soup into a wooden bowl and handed it to me. "Carefully, lass, it's hot."

"Thanks," I taking the bowl from him. "For the soup _and_ your clothes."

"Don't think I've ever had a Woman wear my clothes before," he noted to his brother with a grin.

"No, I don't believe so," Fili nodded, grinning all the same. "What a giant step for you, brother," he commented cheekily.

"Dwarf?" was all I could say, taking the spoon that Kili now passed to me. He looked at me with a blank expression.

"Oh, please. We are a proud race. Don't pretend you haven't noticed," Fili said, rolling his eyes.

"Noticed what?" I asked genuinely, taking a sip from the soup. It wasn't the best thing I ever tasted, but it wasn't bad either, and did a good job warming me up.

"Are you serious, girl?" Fili asked, dumbfounded. "You haven't noticed we're Dwarves?"

Yes, they were unusually short, but then again so was I. And alright, maybe a bit broader and studier-looking than the average man, but I would have blamed that on excessive weight-lifting or something. However, I wouldn't describe myself as a _dwarf _just for being short.

_Wait._

Did they just say _race_?

"You mean race like, Arabs, Asians, Caucasians…" I trailed off after seeing both of their expressions. They looked lost.

"Oh, lord," I sighed, exasperated. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

"What's the matter?" Fili asked, his curiousity piqued.

I wasn't really sure how to explain things to them. First, I had to gather my wits. I was on the verge of freaking out. I took another spoonful of soup, before clearing my throat and speaking.

"Where I come from, we don't have 'Dwarves'," I told them. "I don't know how, but I seem to have found myself in a new world altogether. Not even close to where I'm from."

They both looked at me like I was high.

"Listen," Kili started, clearly about to beat around the bush. "You had quite a fall and a very scary near-death experience. We understand-"

"No," I cut him off. "I'm serious. I don't know how, but I've winded up in a completely unfamiliar world. There's no place called Bree where I live. Not within a 200 km radius, and _trust me_, I know. And another oddity-" I noted how my tone had become so formal after being around the 'Dwarves' for a short time. "If I did really fall from the coast trail, the water would've been salty, since I lived by the ocean-"

"And here we have a lake," Fili finished for me, still looking uncertain.

"If this is true…" I started, feeling another lump build up in my throat. "Then I have no idea how I'm going to get home, or what will happen to me until I figure out a way."

The brothers shared a look.

"Well," Kili started, "You could stay with us." When Fili shot him a look, he added: "For a while, at least. We won't be here very long- a few days at most- but until then, you could stay with us until you get your bearings."

"We Dwarves are known for our hospitality, and I'm sorry we can't offer to help you longer. However, my brother and I have traveled here for a very important meeting, and we are now waiting for more concise directions," Fili did look genuinely sorry.

"You have both done so much for me already, without me asking. I wouldn't want to burden you, and you don't need to explain. I'll try to figure something out during the few days that I have, and I promise I'll get off your back as soon as I can," I felt a bit relieved to know that I had at least a few days to mull things over.

"Not a burden at all, Miss," Kili protested.

"However…" Fili started, before trailing off as he thought. "Hm…" He mused. "Perhaps we could take her to Gandalf? Maybe he can help?" He looked at his brother questioningly and I almost spat out the rest of my soup.

"G-gandalf?" I stuttered, looking like a complete fool.

"Yes, do you know him?" Fili asked, surprised.

"Yes! Well, no-," Of course I knew who he was. I'd read the Lord of the Ringsbooks and I've watched the movies. But it didn't even occur to me that I was in a _fictional_ world! I started to wonder if I really hadn't hit my head hard falling down. "I've heard of him," I explained vaguely. Fili looked at me suspiciously, but nodded.

"That sounds like a plan to me," Kili said, before walking to the lake to wash out the pot.

"I don't know how my Uncle would take it," Fili warned me, "but I am still willing to give it a try. At least, to get you in contact with the wizard."

"I really appreciate that," I told him, smiling.

"So, how are you feeling?" Fili asked me out of the blue. I was a bit surprised. Did not expect that.

"I feel like I've been hit by a truck," I laughed, before realizing he wouldn't get the reference. "I feel awful, but I'm thankful to be alive. All thanks to you and your brother."

"Not to mention well-fed," Kili said upon returning, taking my bowl and spoon for washing.

"You should become a Masterchef," I half-joked.

"Absolutely not," Fili countered, hearing the word 'chef'. "I think the alcohol may have done something to your taste buds. Did you even TASTE that horrid soup?" he laughed.

Kili shot his brother a glare. It was so intense I felt myself shrinking back, even though it wasn't aimed at me.

"Cook your own bloody food from now on," Kili muttered angrily, coming back with the clean utensils.

As the brothers bickered half-heartedly, I managed to do a sort of awkward shuffle towards my backpack, taking out my soaking wet blanket and laying it on the sand. I then unpacked all of my items, laying them carefully on the blanket, hoping that the fire and morning light would dry most of the things. My phone and camera were done for, so were my maps, but everything else would make it.

I took out my pill case and popped a white pill into my mouth.

Just as the argument was about to become heated, Fili stretched and forced a yawn. "I believe it is time to retire to bed."

"You are so full of it," Kili laughed, throwing the spoon he was still holding at his brother's head. It hit Fili square in the forehead before he could duck. Though it looked painful, all Fili did was give Kili an exasperated look. "But I agree!" Kili chirped gleefully, suddenly looking at me. "Time to catch some sleep!"

"You hold the first watch," Fili instructed his brother, already making himself comfortable on the sand, using his bag as a pillow.

"Watch?" I asked, confused.

"Lots of ruffians around this part, lass," Fili explained. "And goodness knows what else. We have to be careful at all times."

_Well, that didn't make me feel directly at ease._

"No worries, though," he continued. "Kili here is a good shot," he motioned to the bow and arrow that rested again a log. "You're completely safe."

I exhaled, figuring I had no choice. I was tired and drained, the loss of blood probably not helping. The weather wasn't particularly cold, and now that I was dry, well-fed, and by the fire, I felt much better. I was sure I could catch some shuteye if I tried.

"Don't worry, miss Cheza," Kili winked at me. "I'll take good care of you."

I smiled uncertainly. "Thanks," I hesitated and then made myself comfortable on the sand, resting my head on my arm. My back was closest to the fire and it felt good.

It didn't take too long before I was fast asleep, but in the moment between wake and sleep, I heard footsteps and the rustling of cloth, before something warm was draped on me.

* * *

A/N: Hello! Pixie here. I'm really happy with the response the stories has gotten so far. Please, do review or send me any thoughts/comments you have. Critical criticism is much appreciated. I want to publish a book in the future, and what better way to practice writing than by releasing some frustration over fictional characters?


	3. Kapitel 3

The next morning, I woke up to the sun's warmth on my skin. I stretched, feeling the sand beneath me and the gentle breeze against my face.

In the background, I could hear talking, but the voices didn't register yet. I enjoyed the brief moment before being fully conscious.

Then the pain kicked in.

My thigh was throbbing and I was sure I had several bad bruises on my back. Those were the two main areas of injury, though I had several small cuts and lesser bruises all over my body.

"… a horse, at least," I heard a familiar voice. Opening my eyes, I saw Fili and Kili sitting on two opposite logs, deep in some sort of discussion.

Gingerly, I tried to prop myself up on my elbows. At my discreet movements, both brothers whipped their head in my direction. It was almost scary how fast they reacted.

"Good morning, sleepy-head!" Kili greeted, a bit too early to be so happy.

"Ugh," was all I could say, trying to stretch my back. Big mistake.

"It will take some time for your body to feel normal," Fili said. _Thank you, Captain Obvious, _was the first thought to cross my mind, but it was just my lack of morning person-ness that caused these bitter thoughts. I tried to remember that these two had really gotten me out of a bad mess yesterday.

"Looking forward to it," I said sarcastically. I managed to drag myself into a comfortable sitting position. I noticed a dark blanket on me.

_That wasn't there yesterday…_But then I remembered the footsteps and the feeling of something warm being draped over me. Damn, I could not get over how _nice_ these people were. That was probably the strongest evidence so far that I was in a whole new world. Though admittedly, I was quite cynical, I did not get along well with _anyone_ back home.

"Hungry?" Kili asked, but before I could answer a small loaf of bread was tossed at my head. Had I been in better condition- or at least more awake- I would have probably caught it, but my current state meant that the bread hit me square in the face. "Sorry!" Kili said, panicked.

"It's okay," I replied, rubbing my nose. _This bread was _hard. "And thank you." I took a bite into it and enjoyed getting something solid, albeit perhaps too solid, into my stomach. "So, what were the two of you talking about, if I may ask?"

"Well, I was just thinking about going to town to get you a pony," Fili told me. "You're going to need it, if you're staying here for a while."

I had to hide my surprise. "Oh, yeah? A pony?" I asked like that was no big deal. "Isn't that…expensive?"

"Not too much," Fili countered. "But we are facing a bit of a problem financially at the moment-" Kili coughed an interruption.

"No need to delve into details," he said smoothly. "Would you happen to have anything on you that might help us get you a pony?"

I thought for a while, and then remembered the necklace that I wore around my neck. It had been a present to myself on my birthday two years ago. The pendant was of a sun, studded with sapphires and the metal was white gold. I took the necklace off and handed it to Fili. "Would this work?"

"Does it not have sentimental value to you?" Fili asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Not really," I shrugged. I had bought it mainly because I thought it was pretty. It had been impulsive, like many of my other rare shopping decisions. "But I think that's the only valuable thing I have."

Fili laughed. "And you say it like it's a bad thing. This will definitely cover the cost of your steed, and may give you a little over, too." He stood up, walking towards the tree-line. "I will be back by lunch," he announced, waving once.

I looked around. The lake looked beautiful and the sandy shore made everything look like it came out of a holiday brochure. The campfire was nothing but ash, and Kili was covering it with sand. He looked up at me and laughed.

"Your forehead is turning red," he pointed out.

"I wonder why," I rolled my eyes, but then smiled to show him I wasn't serious. Some redness of the skin was nothing compared to how the rest of me felt.

"We should move into the forest. Wouldn't want you to catch a heatstroke," he grinned, picking up his belongings and that of his brothers.

Then he paused.

"How's your leg?" he asked, evidently having forgotten my wound for a moment.

"I think I can manage," I said, but he looked unsure.

"I _can_ help-" he started, but I stopped him.

"It's fine, really! Have to try to start pulling my own weight around here, I think," I smiled at him, and he tilted his head to the side for a moment. That slight movement made my heart skip a beat. It almost reminded me of when Kaye would cock her head to the side.

_Kaye…_

I didn't dwell on her. Instead, I folded the blanket, put it over my bag, and used my arms to once again try to haul myself up. I put all of my weight on my good leg and managed to get up without hurting myself too much. I bent down at the waist, grabbed my backpack and stuffed everything that I'd left out to dry in it. Some things were still slightly damp, but nothing another hour or so in the sun couldn't fix. I picked up my shoes, socks in them, and then tried to awkwardly hop/wobble over to the tree-line where Kili was waiting.

He took the pack from me, despite my protests and led me to a small clearing in the woods. It took a while, despite the fact that it wasn't so far, but I managed to hobble the way entirely by myself.

Kili sat down by a tree, resting his back against the dark trunk. He sighed and looked like he was about to take a nap, though it was still early morning. I hung everything that was still damp on tree branches and then announced that I would go back to the lake to wash up.

"Don't push your luck," Kili warned me, suddenly serious. "Be careful and make sure you don't open that wound up again." I was admittedly touched by his concern, but I waved dismissively at him.

"I'm a big girl. I can handle myself," I told him, making my ever-so-slow way back to the shore.

"Not _that_ big, you aren't," Kili replied in a teasing tone. "You're about as tall as I am. That's quite tiny for a Woman."

"Count yourself lucky, or I would have been able to crush your Dwarf ass with my foot," I retorted, but it was all in good fun.

"I'd like to see you try!" he called out after me, but I was already by the shore.

I washed my face and rinsed my mouth as well as I could, before drinking a handful. The water was cool and the sun was warm. The feeling of sunshine on my skin felt wonderful and uplifting. I almost wish I could lay down in the sand and stay there for a few hours, but I didn't think it would be polite to leave Kili alone for so long.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My dark hair was a mess, sticking out in all odd directions. I tried to untangle the hair tie I'd used to pull my thick locks up into a pony tail before my hike, but that proved painful and time consuming. In the end, I gritted my teeth and just tried to pull it out, snapping many hair strands in the process.

Removing all pulled hair from the hair tie, I put one hand in the water and then wet the crown of my head, trying to smoothen out the frizziness. It didn't make too much of a difference, but at least this time when I tied my hair up, I didn't look I'd been electrocuted.

I sighed. Why did it matter what I looked like anyway? I splashed away my reflection in the water and then headed back into the forest.

Hearing me approach, Kili opened one eye and stared at me.

"Do you want this?" he suddenly asked, pulling something out of a pocket. He wasn't wearing the heavy fur or leather gear that he had on yesterday, and looked quite relaxed. I looked at the object in his hand and realized it was the switchblade. "I'd recommend you take it, despite the bad memories. At least, until we get you something better."

I was about to ask why I needed to have a weapon on me, but then I realized that this was Middle Earth. I should probably listen to him. I nodded at him and he threw it towards me. This time I caught it without any major injuries to my face.

"And I was hoping it would hit your face again," he teased. "The redness is already gone."

I laughed, slowly making my way to a comfortable position on the forest floor.

"So, what are you and your brother doing until your…meeting?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

"We haven't really seen much of the world, so we thought we'd have a look around at our leisure," he explained. "We might not get a chance to sit around and enjoy the view for while." I wasn't sure if he was sad or not about that. His expression was unreadable.

That was the opening to a conversation lasted a good half an hour. I tried to find out as much as I could about him and Fili, so I asked questions about where he came from. He seemed unwillingly to answer everything in detail, but I managed to get to know a fair bit about him regardless. I knew now that the brothers were very competent warriors, and Kili even offered to give me some helpful tips once I had a better weapon. I also found out their age, which shocked me considerably, but apparently they were considered "young". I was in disbelief for quite a long time after being told that Kili was almost 60 years older than me.

"How's your family going to react to you being away?" Kili asked, after I'd told him I was only 20.

"We don't really talk," I told him, and he looked almost apologetic that he asked. "There's nothing to it. It was a mutual decision. We decided it would be best this way." He nodded, but didn't ask any more questions.

Kili stood up after a brief pause. "I'm going to bring my pony in," he told me, and then made his way into the forest to wherever his pony was grazing. I had no idea that it had been around the area in the first place, but I shrugged and focused on massaging my bruised arms and legs.

It was all very weird, me being here. I tried to think of how or why it happened, but I really had no clue. And why, of all people, did this happen to _me_? I mean, sure I wasn't the most lovable person back home, but nor was I such a huge fan of the Tolkien world. I mean I didn't hate it. I just wasn't that knowledgeable of it.

On the other hand, I was quite happy that I had landed close to the brothers. It would have been worse if I'd ended up alone, or worse, in the middle of a swarm of uruk-hais.

Shuddering, I rolled up a leg of the loose trousers I was wearing to take a look at my wound. Fili had done a great job stitching it up and it seemed to be healing remarkably fast, though it still had a while to go. I attributed the speed to the fact that I was in a fantasy world. I mean, if _Dwarves and Elves_ existed, then why couldn't _outrageously fast healing_?

Just then, Kili walked in on the back of his pony. It was a pretty thing, with a brown coat. I tried to stand up once again, letting the trouser leg fall back down to my ankle.

"No, stay," Kili instructed, and I couldn't help but notice the bow and quiver of arrows on his shoulder that I hadn't noticed before. "I will go scout the nearby area and see if I can catch something for lunch," he informed me, and I nodded, not really sure what I would do in the mean time. "Don't worry, I won't be long." And with that, he gave his pony a gentle kick and trotted away into the woods.

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep…" I began to recite, out of nowhere, but then shook my head and got on my feet. I thought I'd help. I had no hunting skills whatsoever, but I knew my fair share about mushrooms. And though the thought of finding mushrooms here that were in no way related to the ones on Earth _did_ cross my mind, I also remembered that a lot of the other fruits and vegetables mentioned in the books and movies were the same.

Limping from tree to tree, making sure not to stray too far from the camp, I was pleased to see that there was an abundance of chanterelles around the area. Within half an hour, I felt quite happy with what I had found, and sat by a tree at the edge of a clearing.

_At least I can now sit and be lazy for the rest of the day without feeling guilty, _I thought to myself, dusting off the mushrooms. A few minutes after, Kili came cantering in on his pony, a giant grin plastered on his face.

"Well, that was fun," he announced, before promptly jumping off the pony. He threw two pheasants on the ground in front of me. Each had an arrow that had gone precisely through the neck.

"Fili didn't lie when he said you were a good shot," I couldn't help but say, and the smile on Kili's face turned into a grin.

"Brother doesn't always tell untruths," he said pointedly, referring to the incident with the alcohol dabbed on my wound. "And what's this?" he came to a halt in front of my feet, looking at the bundle of yellow-orange mushrooms.

"More food?" I said, thinking he'd scold me for getting up.

"Stubborn, restless little Woman, aren't you?" he joked, nudging my good thigh gently with his toes. "Maybe you can help me pluck the birds then," he said, walking over to one of the pheasants and picking it up by the arrow lodged through it. "Here!" He threw it on my lap, and I cringed at the dead thing.

"Pluck?' I asked, gingerly picking the bird up by the arrow and putting it aside. Kili's pony walked up to sniff it. When it proved to not be anything he could eat, it trotted away to a nice patch of juicy green grass.

"Yes. The feathers. Or do you eat it with the feathers on?" He raised one eyebrow at me. It almost looked like he was genuinely asking me a question. I shot him a bemused look regardless.

"Well, no, of course not. I've never 'plucked' a bird before though," I told him as he sat down next to me, the second pheasant in his hand.

"It's not that different from picking mushrooms."

"_What?_" I sputtered; laughing only because of how serious he looked.

"Really! Just imagine all the feathers are little mushrooms that you're pulling out of-" I couldn't help laughing even louder at how absurd that thought was.

"Little mushrooms," I laughed to myself, picking the bird up and putting it on my lap again. "Alright, I'll give it a try," I told him, though I wasn't too happy about it.

Five minutes later and Kili had snatched my pheasant away in a huff. There were feathers _EVERYWHERE._ While he had a nice pile next to him that somehow didn't mostly fly away with the lightest breeze, all the small downy feathers that mine had were up in the air, trying to get into our nostrils, attaching themselves to our hair, etc.

"I told you I'd give it a _try_!" I protested at my handiwork.

"Just go back to picking real mushrooms and I'll get this done," Kili told me, moving away to sit on the other side of the clearing and away from all the feathers.

"_Real _mushrooms," I mimicked, and I saw a grin light up his downcast face that was so intently focused on plucking feathers.

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A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I don't have the possibility to publish new chapters quickly (exams, driving test, puppy courses, and a volunteer trip to Slovakia all happening this month), but the reviews really motivated me to get something up as soon as possible! So thank you so much! Really happy with the responses that I'm getting!

I also noticed that quite a few of my readers come from Scandinavia. If you would like to check out my Swedish Fauna/Flora blog on tumblr (regardless of whether you live in Scandinavia or not), it's called PixieIdentifies =]

See you next chapter!


	4. Kapitel 4

As noon came to pass, Kili made a fire and began roasting the pheasants and cooking the mushrooms. I wondered if Fili had some sort of sixth sense when it came to food, because he came back just when lunch was done.

"Great timing!" I greeted him when he entered the clearing, but I stiffened when I saw the rein in his hand.

"I apologize it took so long. The Men in these areas are hard to bargain with, especially so with a Dwarf," he explained and began to tell Kili and I his adventures in Bree, but I was too fixed on the beautiful horse that stood beside him.

It appeared to be a Fjording horse, small and broad, with a curved neck. It had a light coat and a mane that was white on the sides but black in the middle. The tail featured the same colouring. I stood up slowly, not putting too much pressure on my bad leg. I hobbled over while the brothers continued to speak and extended a hand towards the horse's muzzle. It looked at me uncertainly, and I stayed in place, letting it come to me. Eventually, it did, running its mouth and nose over my hand and breathing in my scent. I almost giggled at the tickling sensation of the horse's warm breath on my hand.

I then realized it was completely quiet and looked up to see Fili staring at me.

"Is she to your liking?" he asked me, though his grin told me that he already knew the answer. I nearly couldn't contain my excitement.

"She's beautiful," I told him, stroking her forehead with two fingers. She seemed to like that.

"I got her at a good price. She's young and has a lot of personality, but she's quite sturdy," he told me, and I assumed he'd taken her on a test ride.

I pulled my hand back at the thought and looked back up at Fili. "There's a slight problem," I started, grimacing.

"You can't ride," he finished my sentence, looking at me understandably.

"Well, yes. Or- I've ridden a couple of times, but not extensively," I explained. "And I don't know how much I'll manage with my leg."

"As long as you know the basics, the rest will come with practice," Kili's voice came from behind me. He had stood up and came up to the horse to say hello. "She's a very pretty thing," he admitted, stroking her neck firmly. "And your leg will heal soon enough."

"What's her name?" I asked Fili.

"Shiola," he replied. "But you are, of course, entitled to change that."

"Shiola," I repeated. "No, I like it," I grinned and he smiled back. The smile faltered for a second before he reached for a pack that was strapped onto Shiola.

"Here," he told me, handing me the bag. "I got you some other essential items, and the rest of your coins are in there too," he told me and I couldn't help but hug him.

"Thank you!" I said, and I felt his hand on my head.

"My pleasure, lass," he told me and I pulled free from him to examine the contents of the bag. I was delighted to find a cloak that was dark green and soft, but warm. There was also what looked like a leather armour chest piece, and finally a short sword with a black hilt and scabbard.

"For added protection," he explained and I nodded, grinning from ear to ear. _Not that I knew how to use a sword, exactly, but this was still pretty neat! At _the bottom of the bag was a pouch filled with coins, but that didn't entice me as much.

Kili took Shiola from his brother, as well as Fili's pony, and led her to where his own pony was, letting them graze together. Rubbing his hands together, he announced: "I'm hungry."

The next two days passed with us traveling through the wooded area, following the shoreline until it ended. The brothers did not know where they were heading, but did not like to stay in one place for too long.

The worst of my wound had healed, and the cut wasn't as deep as it was before. It had opened once or twice while I rode, but it wasn't an issue anymore.

Shiola was kind and gentle, but spirited and not always obedient. I didn't mind that. Like Kaye, Shiola had a mind of her own and I tried to empathize with that. I wore my new cloak on my shoulders and the leather vest over Kili's blue tunic that I still had on. He'd insisted I keep his clothes, though I'd offered to change back to my old outfit.

The vest supported my back when we rode and that helped me endure my inexperience as a rider. By the end of the second day of riding, my inner thighs were so sore. We settled down deep in the forest right after sunset, and Fili started a fire while Kili went to a nearby stream to 'fish'.

I hadn't been feeling well for the last half an hour, and I attributed it to the long days and the emotional overload I was going through. I still hadn't completely wrapped my head around the fact that I was in a fantasy world.

Despite that, I felt quite comfortable with the brothers. They had been nothing but kind and tolerant of me, despite me slowing them down immensely. They told me not to worry, that they were only traveling around out of leisure, but it felt like they could be exploring so much more if I hadn't been with them.

I did carry my own weight to the best of my abilities though. I started a fire yesterday while the brothers went scouting, I took first watch when it was time to sleep, and I helped with the horses, too. When I could find something, I often went mushroom or berry picking. It might not have been much, but it made me feel slightly better regardless.

I dismounted Shiola, slowly stepping on the ground with my good leg- now more out of habit than anything else. I felt slightly faint and Shiola turned her head around and nudged. I looked at her, confused, and tried to push her face away from me as she tried to prod at me once more. This didn't phase her, and she simply pushed past my hand and nudged me again.

"What are you-?" I started to ask her, when I realized what was going on. Panicking, I started walking away from the campsite. "Fili," I called out to him, trying to hide the anxiety in my voice. He looked up from the smoking pile of twigs before him, one eyebrow up. "I'm going off by myself for a while. I might not be back for 20 minutes," I told him, and he knew something was up, but didn't ask. I hoped that, at worst, he thought I needed the bathroom or something.

"Certainly," he told me, still watching me as I made my way further into the woods as quickly as possible.

The lightheaded feeling kept getting worse and disorientation came soon after. I was tripping and stumbling all over the place, thinking I wouldn't find a good place to lie down before it was too late.

Eventually, I found a spot that would make do and practically collapsed on my side. I felt my breathing go ragged and then everything went black.

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**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've had this one written out ages ago but never got around to posting it. Hope it's an alright chapter and I apologize for any spelling mistakes. Do tell me what you think!**


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